Protecting Our Children

My mind is still reeling from the news out of Connecticut. While so many in our culture ask, "How could someone go after children?"--we know the answer. Sadly. We know that we live in a culture that "goes after children."

From abortion, to the sexualization of children in advertisements, to the video games that target their minds with shallow pleasure, to the movies that espouse every religious view but true Christianity--our culture goes after children. John Stonestreet once said, "The signs of an idolatrous culture are sexual immorality and the sacrifice of children." Few Christians can look at the world around us and not sense the idolatry of our culture. And that children always pay the price of idolatry.

It's tempting to think, "But we home school. We're safe. Our children are safe." If only it were so easy.

We see how the public schools have banned God from their midst. They determined that they didn't need God. We see the terrible fruit of that choice.

Do we live as if we need God? At every step? Or, do we fall into a sense that, because we home school, God will just cover us with His protection?

That was step one of the public school's departure from God. Many early public schools lived in dependence on God. Parents gathered together to set the agenda for the school, hired a Godly teacher, and focused on learning based on scriptural tenets. Then came the slow fade. Parents just assumed that the schools would honor God. Then, they assumed God would bless whether He was honored or not. Many Christians who send their children to public school still live in this fantasy.

Many home schoolers live in this fantasy as well. We assume that, because we began our journey by faith in God, somehow God will bless whatever we do. Whether we seek Him or not.

I find it so easy to fall into this. After so many years home schooling--so many times through the curriculum--I get lulled into a false sense of "I've got this." At other times I'm so overwhelmed, I grasp at any tool offered--forgetting to instead grasp for God. Daily I have to intentionally go to God, pray for the Holy Spirit to govern our day and be our teacher, and ask that God keep my ears tuned to hear His voice. It's an act of sheer perseverance to stay focused on Him.

Christmas is a time when God made abundantly clear--"My people need me. They need me living among them, walking with them, and guiding them at every step." The cry of Christmas is to accept Jesus in our midst. Daily. To live--eyes focused on Him. To walk with Him. To honor Him and be guided by Him in everything from our Bible lessons to our art lessons to our service in the community. We need to seek Him in teaching our children how to relate to us, to each other, and to those outside our homes. That is our protection.

What happened in Connecticut was not outside God's sovereignty. But, I believe it was outside His will. It was the fruit of living outside His will. May we as home schoolers vigilantly seek to live every day in His will. May we seek to be an example to a hurting world how to follow God in the dayliness of life--in every choice and every focus. May we recognize that He is the only protection we have.

Tess Worrell writes and speaks to groups regarding issues of family life and living as a Godly woman. She and husband, Mike Worrell, live in Madison, Indiana, where they are in their 14th year of home schooling. She would love to hear your insights. Comment here or email her at tess@YourFamilyMatterstous.com. If you would like Tess to speak to your home school or church group, you can learn more about her speaking at YourFamilyMatterstous.com.

"A kindhearted woman gains respect." Prov.11:16a

How many moms long for their children to respect them? I know I do. 

Respect conveys a starting assumption that the other person is valued--worthy of listening to and regarding well. I've seen other moms strive for respect, long for respect, and even demand respect. Yet, how often do we see kindness as a  key component of gaining what we so desire? When I came across this verse recently, I was struck by the simple prescription. And how often I may miss it.

In my desire to train up my children well, I too often confuse respect with agreement. When disagreement comes, I can easily fall into a tug of war with my children and lose sight of being kind in the effort to demonstrate I am right. In the busyness of life, I too often focus on getting people where they need to be or accomplishing an endless to-do list and lose sight of being kind in the effort to be on time. In trying to impose order on a house that seemingly insists on falling into disarray no matter how much I work, I can begin to order my children like servants and lose sight of being kind in the effort to be done.

To be sure, respect contains many other components. Yet, I as I engage in discussions, steer my family to destinations, or ask for help with chores I am struck anew by the need to focus on letting the fruit of the Spirit guide my everyday interactions--in particular the fruit of kindness. In so doing, I may gain the very respect that becomes the foundation of all the mothering God calls me to do.

Tess Worrell writes and speaks to groups regarding issues of family life and living as a Godly woman. She and husband, Mike Worrell, live in Madison, Indiana, where they are in their 14th year of home schooling. She would love to hear your insights. Comment here or email her at tess@YourFamilyMatterstous.com. If you would like Tess to speak to your home school or church group, you can learn more about her speaking at YourFamilyMatterstous.com.

By The Will Of God

Ever had one of those days when you wonder if you're really up to the job of parenting?  I have. Some days I think of other mothers I know, and I'm quite sure they're probably doing a much better job of it than I.  Lord, how could you have entrusted me with these children?

Enter Colossians.  I warn you; if you don't want to be changed, stay away from God's Word.  If, on the other hand, you know your mind desperately needs renewing, then dive in.  If you want the biggest impact, commit it to memory.  You will never be the same.  It's exhilarating.  It gets inside your mind, deep into your heart, and even under your skin in a good sort of convicting way.

Okay, you've probably guessed; I've been memorizing Colossians.  And I didn't get past the first verse before it changed my outlook.  It just might change yours, too.  The book (the letter) opens with this:

"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

by the will of God. . ."

Stop right there.  "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God. . ."  His identity was wholly wrapped up in the will of God.  Who he was, where he was, his calling, his mission, and his role were all by the will of God.  And it came through in everything.  He opens five of his letters that way, and implies it at the beginning of three more of them.

Do you ever wish you could be that certain?  I mean in your particular role and calling.  In my case, Carol, husband to Scott, by the will of God; mother to Vera, by the will of God; mother to. . . here in Indiana.  You get the idea.  Try putting your own name in.  "____, ________, by the will of God."

Maybe that seems awkward, but if you are a believer in Jesus, you can be just as sure. He is working out His sovereign will in your life just as surely as He did in Paul's life, or Peter's, or any of those other famous guys' lives in the beginning days of His church. Very same God, you know.  And Peter reassured us in his second letter (II Peter 1:1) that we have received the same kind of faith as theirs.

We can be sure of our calling as His children and in the roles in which He has placed us. Not only that, but as Paul explained to the people in Athens, God even determines when and where we will live, so we can rest assured in that, too.  (Acts 17:24-27)

Listen in on Paul's prayer for the saints at Colossae,

". . . we have not ceased to pray for you

and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will

 in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that

you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,

to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work,

and increasing in the knowledge of God;

strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might,

for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience;

joyously giving thanks to the Father,

who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light."

Colossians 1:9-12

(emphasis mine)

When His wise sovereign will slips out of our focus, when we are filled with something other than the knowledge of His will, we get discouraged and down, questioning our calling, doubting the success of our mission, and we are tempted to give up.  All we can see are the challenges in front of us, which seem to mount by the minute and even gather strength against us.

But if, instead, we are filled with the knowledge of His will, then we understand that our circumstances are part of His elaborate plan for our good and His glory.  And we understand what He desires of us--those good works He has planned for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).  Then our trust is in Him, we are strengthened by His power, we can be patient and steadfast, and we bear fruit, because we know it isn't all up to us.  Even as we wait on His timing or an answer to prayer, we have a confidence that comes from knowing that He will accomplish His will in our lives.  We can be "joyously giving thanks" because we have a living hope (I Peter I:3) that rests in His will.

This "being filled with the knowledge of His will" is so very crucial that Epaphras, who had brought the gospel to Colossae, was "always laboring earnestly in his prayers" for the Colossian believers that they would "stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God." Colossians 4:12 (emphasis mine)

I think we can be pretty sure that the answer to that prayer wouldn't be a discouraged person who says, "I just can't do this. . . Lord, this just isn't working!"  When we begin to doubt the roles we have, or the callings we've been given, we must remember that our sovereign God makes no mistakes.  Our identity--our calling, our role, who we are, where we are--is wholly wrapped up in His will.

Let us, too, earnestly ask the Lord that He would make us stand fully assured in all the will of God; that He would strengthen us with His power, according to His glorious might; and that we would steadfastly, patiently, and joyously give thanks, as we trust in His wisdom and His will.

"Now the God of peace,

who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep. . . 

equip you in every good thing to do His will,

working in us that which is pleasing in His sight,

through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever.

Amen."

Hebrews 13:20-21

(emphasis mine)

P.S.  If you're looking for some especially encouraging Scriptures, I think you'll find Colossians 1, I Peter 1, and II Peter 1 are absolutely amazing.

Homeschooling with her husband, Scott, since 2001, Carol believes nothing is too difficult for God.  She is a passionate encourager and loves using creative means--including writing music, singing, speaking, and blogging--to encourage others to trust God through all the adventures He calls them to.  You can read more from her at her Unsmotherable Delight blog (udelight.blogspot.com), where you'll find faith-filled original songs, favorite scriptures, family stories, and even a little film about adoption, all designed to inspire and lift your spirit.  Her original 'theme song' titled Captain's Anthem can be heard on Vimeo at http://vimeo.com/30769152.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

A Disturbing Trend

"I just wanted to say good-bye," said a mom standing on our front porch with her daughter--a young lady I had watched in our co-op since she was a little girl. "We won't be home schooling next year. I wanted to see you in case we don't run into each other."

Her face revealed how difficult the decision had been. Her husband was out of work. Her perfect part-time job was being eliminated. She needed to find full-time work, so daughter would be going to school.

As I gave her a hug, I wondered, "Another one?"

The issue hits home for our family. With a now-disabled husband, our income cut 40%--I'm not sure how long we can keep going. The issue of "will I be able to home school?" has loomed large and consistently in our struggles. We have cut our lifestyle and I've sought more speaking bookings just so I can keep the home school going. But, it's tough. As I've seen families all around us handle their economic crises by mom returning to work and the kids to school, I've wondered, "Is that us?"


How can the home schooling community counter this growing trend?

A few questions might help.

Is each home schooling family living in a financially responsible way? Do we have savings? Are we cutting debt? IS each of us working so that we can share with those in need? Eph. 4:28. The financial strain on most home schooling families is  huge--most of us already live on one income. Before crisis,I felt we were doing a great job if we could buy school books on our limited budget. I didn't see how we could plan for more savings. But, on the other side of crisis, I would urge families to try. My husband's commitment to no debt freed us greatly to keep home schooling.

Is the home schooling community living in a financially responsible way? Do we hire other home schoolers? Do we buy products from home schooling entrepreneurs to keep their income going? Are we ready to financially help struggling families? Our family school has survived precisely because people have helped--mostly home schoolers and our church. People have taken seriously God's command to reach out in support which has allowed me, stepping out in faith, to plan for another year. How many don't have that support?

We have wonderful people working on the governmental side to guard against the legal attacks on home schooling. Our home schooling communities have developed superb response mechanisms to these.

But, Satan isn't stupid. He's flanking us. Economic hardships have become a huge opportunity for him to take out families. Has our community recognized this threat? Are we developing responses to this attack? The legislative efforts won't mean much if families simply quit because they can't hang in there financially.

The good news? God knows the struggle and has a plan for it. If home schooling is God's will, He will provide for it. Perhaps, as wonderful an opportunity as this is for Satan to defeat us, it's an even greater opportunity for God to pull us together. Perhaps God is strengthening the community through causing us to care for each other in tangible ways that not only build us but witness to His love for the world in a way that draws others into His family.

I don't know all the answers, but I would plead with home schoolers to find them. Let's not ignore the threat. Let's not miss the opportunity.  Let's reverse the trend.


Tess Worrell writes and speaks to groups regarding issues of family life and living as a Godly woman. She and husband, Mike Worrell, live in Madison, Indiana, where they are in their 14th year of home schooling. She would love to hear your insights. Comment here or email her at tess@YourFamilyMatterstous.com. If you would like Tess to speak to your home school or church group, you can learn more about her speaking at YourFamilyMatterstous.com.